It might not be as well-known as magnesium or vitamin C, but selenium is one of those underdog nutrients quietly doing some heavy lifting behind the scenes. This essential trace mineral plays a critical role in everything from supporting your immune system to keeping your thyroid ticking along smoothly. You only need it in small amounts, but trust us, your body knows when it’s missing. Think of selenium as the behind-the-scenes crew making sure the show runs without a hitch.
Supports Healthy Thyroid Function
Your thyroid gland is responsible for regulating metabolism, energy levels, and even your mood, and it happens to be one of the organs richest in selenium. Why? Because selenium is crucial for the production and regulation of thyroid hormones. It also helps protect the thyroid from oxidative stress, ensuring it keeps performing at its best, even when life throws you curveballs (or deadlines).
Promotes Brain Function
If mental sharpness and clarity are high on your wish list, selenium’s got your back. Research suggests selenium can help protect brain cells from oxidative damage, which is a major player in cognitive decline. It also supports healthy neurotransmitter activity, helping you stay focused, alert, and just a little bit quicker with your comebacks in meetings.
Boosts Immune System
Your immune system is your body’s first line of defence, and selenium plays a key role in strengthening it. It helps increase the production of white blood cells and supports the body’s ability to fight off infections, viruses, and other nasties. Simply put, selenium keeps your defences up, so you can keep showing up.
Has Antioxidant Properties
One of selenium’s standout benefits is its role as a powerful antioxidant. It helps neutralise free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage cells and accelerate ageing, by supporting the activity of enzymes like glutathione peroxidase (your body’s internal clean-up crew). This means less oxidative stress, less inflammation, and better long-term health.
Helps Maintain Energy Levels
Dragging yourself through the 3pm slump? Selenium helps support energy production at a cellular level by assisting your mitochondria (aka your cell’s powerhouses). When your mitochondria are running efficiently, so are you, meaning more get-up-and-go and less coffee-on-coffee (though we’re all for that too).
Selenium might not get the spotlight often, but it’s a crucial player in your overall wellbeing, especially when it comes to thyroid support, immune defence, brain health, antioxidant power, and sustained energy. Whether you’re chasing performance, focus, or just feeling like your best self, this small-but-mighty mineral deserves a place in your daily routine.